Traces of Affection
by SBoleyn
Summary: Modern AU. 10 times the Amis saw Enjolras and Éponine show affection towards the other. In the words of Miguel de Servantes Saavedra "There were no embraces, because where there is great love there is often little display of it."


A/N: I was reading a few Enjonine fics, in honor of 2013, and I couldn't get this idea out of my mind. This is my first time writing Enjonine, I certainly hope to make them, and the Amis, justice. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

 _ **Traces of Affection**_

"A tooth is much more to be prized than a diamond." Miguel de Servantes Saavedra.

 _The first time it happened, it caught them by surprise._

Enjolras was going to Washington for 2 weeks. He had been invited to present his most recent works on liberty at the Annual American Democracy Conference. He had assured all the boys that " _No, Grantaire. There's no need for a going away party, if you want to drink, do so freely. As you always do_ " Yet, all of them decided, without his knowledge, to go to his apartment the morning of the day he was supposed to leave, and accompany him to JFK airport. What they didn't expect was that, when they knocked on the door, Éponine was the one to answer. They knew that she and Enjolras were together, not that any of them would know if not for the fact that Joly caught them kissing once. What followed was operation _'has the marble cracked?_ ' Which consisted of finding out if they were actually together or if it had been a one time thing, the plan was Courfeyrac's idea, of course, but the rest had been way too curious to not participate. After a week or so of taking turns following "The moon and the sun" as Grantaire had named them, the two of them figured out what was going on, and when they were all together, Enjolras let them know that " _You can stop following us now. We are seeing each other, okay?_ " with his usually stoic expression, as he focused on his laptop. As Courfeyrac was about to say something, Éponine sat next to Enjolras and added " _And that's all you'll ever know_ " a smug expression on her face once she saw how disappointment took over all of their features, a ghost of a smile gracing Enjolras' face. So, yes, the Amis knew about the relationship, but they didn't know the details, let alone that they lived together, suffice to say, they were caught by surprise. However, Éponine was not amused, she simply raised an eyebrow and said "You do know its 6:00 o'clock in the morning, right?" It was not a secret to anyone that she was quite cranky in the mornings.

But before anyone could answer, Enjolras voice rang through the apartment "Ép, have you see my phone charger?"

Éponine turned her head back inside and said "It's in the kitchen"

They could hear Enjolras walking and then a "Thanks! You ready?"

Éponine quickly checked that she had all of her stuff and replied "Yep, grab my purse please"

Enjolras made his way over to Éponine, suitcase in hand, and gave her her purse. Only then did he notice his friends huddled in the entrance of his apartment. He reacted the same way Éponine did, with a raised eyebrow.

Combeferre was the one to speak "We're here to accompany you to the airport" The rest of the boys were too caught up in the dynamic between Éponine and Enjolras, they had never seem them so, _domestic_. It really was a sight to behold.

A tiny smile graced Enjolras face at his friends' insistence, he shook his head and said "You know I'm not going away forever, right?" as he and Éponine got out and he closed the door behind them.

Grantaire put his hand over his chest and, dramatically, said "But, Apollo, fearless leader of ours, what are we gonna do 2 weeks without you?" which made the others laugh.

An hour later they were all saying goodbye to Enjolras as he prepared to board, when the most surprising thing of the day happened, Enjolras made his way over to Éponine, grabbed the back of her head, pulled her closer to him, and kissed her forehead. They exchanged a few words that the rest couldn't hear and separated. They pretended they didn't hear the gasps and excited squeals of the Amis.

* * *

 _The second time it happened, they had to zoom in on a blurry picture._

Bahorel was about to take the N Train when he stopped dead in his tracks. Éponine and Enjolras were walking in the opposite direction, their backs to him, and they were, _holding hands?_ Holy crap, the guys had to see that. He quickly fished his phone put of his back pocket and scrambled to take a picture. He ended up missing the train since he had to take a few more pictures, for an old lady kept getting in between him and the couple. Yet, he didn't mind, he just grinned and sat down in a bench as he typed "Check this out" and attached the pictures to a group chat called ' _Mom and Dad_ ' Of course, said group chat had been Grantaire's idea, way back when operation ' _Has the marble cracked?'_ took place.

It was a matter of seconds before Bahorel's phone started to blow up with texts.

Obviously, Courfeyrac was the first to answer "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAAAAY"

Jehan sent a million heart and flower emojis and said "I think I just died and went to heaven"

In response to that, always cynical Grantaire added "I wasn't aware that heaven was the New York Subway. But mom and dad look cute"

Joly, bless his heart, was the only one worried about the dangers of the NYC Subway "I love that they're holding hands. But, should they do that on the station? Do you guys know how many bacteria lives there?"

Everyone could practically sense Courfeyrac rolling his eyes as he typed "CAN WE GET BACK ON TRACK? THEIR FINGERS ARE INTERTWINED"

Feuilly was the one to say "How do you even see that? These pics are blurry as hell, Bahorel"

Bossuet added "Just zoom in. A lot."

Cosette sent a bunch of heart eyes emojis and said "Awwww! They're so cute!"

Jehan added another million heart emojis and replied "Honestly guys, have you ever seen our mighty leader TOUCH anyone in public? This is revolutionary!"

Marius sent a few smiling emojis and said "Who knew our 'Ponine held such powers?"

"Well, guys and gays. I think it's safe to say that Marble. Has. Cracked" came Grantaire's answer.

Combeferre simply sent a few clapping hands emojis.

And Courfeyrac ended the chat with "Bahorel, I love you"

Even though they saw blurry pictures of their backs, no one doubted that those were Éponine and Enjolras, the blonde hair and red jacket plus brown hair and leather black jacket combo was a dead giveaway.

* * *

 _The third time it happened, they were at a wedding._

Marius and Cosette had no doubt that they were made for each other. So it was a no-brainer for them to get married as soon as they could. Over time, Cosette and Éponine became really good friends. Not the kind that talked everyday, but the kind that, when they talked, it was as if nothing had changed. Still, Éponine was shocked that Cosette chose her as her maid of honor. She decided against having more bridesmaids because that meant that Marius would have to choose groomsmen, and he couldn't just pick a few of the Amis, it was all of them or none of them. However, he picked Enjolras as his best man.

As soon as he saw her walk down the aisle, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Ever since Cosette had asked her to be her maid of honor, Éponine had kept her dress a secret from Enjolras, and now he understood why. She was wearing a beautiful deep red dress, and he swore that he could never like that color as much as he liked it in that moment. It didn't help that she had been so busy those last few days, helping Cosette, that they barely saw each other. He found himself longing for her. For him, the ceremony seemed to last forever. And then, he had to endure the first dance, the father and daughter dance, and the speeches. He faintly heard Jehan gushing through the first minutes of the reception, and the excited talk of the rest of the Amis, but he was focused only on her. Once he saw that she was free and they didn't have to witness any more 'wedding milestones' he walked over to her, she was standing to the side of the room, a glass of champagne in hand, and a smile on her face. Apparently, she was deep in though, for she was surprised when he put his hand on her arm. She smiled softly at him and said "Hey" she, too, had missed him these last few days. She couldn't help but admire him, he looked so handsome, all dressed up for the occasion.

Enjolras smiled at her. But before he could say anything, they heard the first notes of the song that played when they kissed each other for the first time, Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. So, he extended out his hand for her to take and led her to the dance floor, a smile on both of their faces at the memory. She laid her head on his chest, perfectly content, as they started to slow dance and Enjolras whispered the words of the song in her ear.

 _The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.  
It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.  
I never dreamed that I'd meet somebody like you.  
And I never dreamed that I'd lose somebody like you.  
_

 _No, I don't want to fall in love.  
No, I don't want to fall in love.  
With you, with you. _

_What a wicked game you play to make me feel this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.  
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.  
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you._

And I wanna fall in love.

 _No, I wanna fall in love.  
With you._

The meaning of the song wasn't lost to them, especially to Enjolras. After all, he ignored his feelings for her for a very long time, before he let her _and_ himself know that he loved her. In a way, it was their song. He'd just take out the part about losing her. Not that he would admit it, but that was one of his biggest fears. Once the Amis recovered from the shock of watching them dance, they convinced the wedding photographer to take a picture of them.

They didn't tell the group, but Éponine had the picture framed in their apartment.

* * *

 _The fourth time it happened, they barely even saw it coming._

One particular October night the Amis were sitting at the Café Musain, each minding their own business, when Courfeyrac whined "Come _on,_ Enj. When are you going to propose to our dear 'Ponine?"

Enjolras didn't even look up from his book and notes, he simply rose an eyebrow and said "May I ask what brought this on?" he was never going to get used to his friends asking such personal questions as if they were asking about the weather.

Courfeyrac audibly sighed, then said "The only wedding we've gone to was Marius and Cosette's and that was _ages_ ago!"

Enjolras looked up from his book for the first time and gave him an ' _are you kidding me?_ ' expression, before saying "This is about you wanting to go to a wedding?" Then, he looked down at his book once again and muttered, without a hint of emotion in his tone, "For all you know, Éponine and I might've broken up" At that last comment, every single one of the Amis shut up and stopped what they were doing to look at him, shocked expressions on their faces. Was this Enjolras way of telling them that Ép and him were no longer together? It didn't seem like a crazy idea, at all, Ép and him would be the ones to break up without telling anyone or causing drama. Besides, they wouldn't know if anything had changed, since their leader and his love rarely showed affection in public.

Just then, Éponine barged through the door of the café, took off her jacket and scarf and sat next to Enjolras. Once she saw the way the rest of the Amis were looking at her, she _swore_ Jehan was about to cry, she asked "What's wrong with you lot?"

Courf was the one that dared to ask, after all, he was the one that started the conversation in the first place "You and the chief broke up?" and again, she swore Jehan was sniffling. A shadow of doubt crossed her features, but they didn't see it because it went by extremely fast. Instead, she suppressed her smirk and trying her best to look hurt, said "Oh" Then, she turned to Enjolras and, trying to appear mad, said to him "You told them?"

Enjolras, doing his best to sound regretful, started "Ép… I-"

But he was cut of by Éponine "-I told you not to call me that, Enjolras. You know it's over" God, they deserved a medal, they were such good actors!

Enjolras seemed angry as he retorted "Well, it's not like I had a say in that, did I?" it was then he heard Courf gasp. They couldn't believe it, Ép had dumped Enjolras? When? But most importantly, why?

Suddenly, Éponine thought about making them believe that Enjolras had cheated on her, she imagined their faces and, at that, she couldn't control her laughter. The Amis looked at her with confused expressions on their faces for a few seconds until they understood. Some rolled their eyes, others sighed in relief, and others simply smiled. They returned to their usual business, truth to be told, they felt kinda stupid for falling for that.

Enjolras turned to Éponine and said "I thought I was the one that was going to crack first" amusement all over his tone.

Éponine didn't miss the glint in his eye, she knew how he loved to mess with their friends every once in a while. She raised her hands in defense as she said "Well, I _did_ come in without knowing anything. But, I imagined their faces if I said you had cheated on me"

What followed, was a sight that truly surprised the rest of the group, Enjolras laughed out loud, happiness evident in his face. And then, it happened, he leaned in and pecked Éponine on the lips as if that was the most natural thing on the planet. No, he had not forgotten where he was, and no, he didn't need to prove anything to anyone, he just wanted to kiss her. His Éponine.

Safe to say, the Amis almost died. Jehan gripped Joly's arm and asked him "Did that just happen?" Bossuet almost knocked a few drinks of the table as he grabbed his phone to text Musichetta. Bahorel stood wide eyed. Combeferre nodded and smiled. Cosette had a knowing look on her face, while Marius smiled at her. Grantaire went to get everyone drinks to celebrate that "Our moon and our sun are still together" Feuilly went with him and they could hear him ramble "You know that's not possible, right? In real life, I mean. Well, I'm talking about the _real_ moon and sun…" as they got lost in the sea of people at the café.

* * *

 _The fifth time it happened, they were too worried to realize what was going on._

It was the usual rally. Enjolras was giving a speech, accompanied by Courfeyrac and Combeferre, while the others stood close by and listened. But then, chaos unleashed, no one knew what was happening, only that people were fighting and throwing punches at each other. The rest happened extremely fast, Enjolras searched for Éponine with his eyes and once he spotted her, the worst sight greeted him. Someone punched her so hard that she fell to the floor, grabbing her nose. As he scrambled to get off the stage, gunshots rang. Bahorel grabbed him, and took him to an alley, Combeferre and Courfeyrac close behind him. They had their phones in hand, 'Ferre was talking to someone and Courf was furiously texting. Enjolras turned to Bahorel and with venom in his eyes snapped "Bahorel, let me go" They could see that he was trying to calm himself down, but his eyes betrayed him.

Bahorel simply gripped him harder "No, chief. They're gonna be looking for you, you can't go out there. You 3 are easy targets, for the police and for those that started this"

Enjolras fought his way out of Bahorel's grip, but the larger man was stronger than him. That's when he lost his composure, frustration and anger painted his face as he yelled at him "Don't you understand Éponine is out there? What about the others?" Then, his tone dropped to a dangerously low volume and he said "I won't stay here. Let me go"

Before Enjolras could keep fighting against Bahorel, Combeferre hung up his phone and exclaimed "Hey, calm down. Grantaire and Marius are with Éponine, they're taking her to the hospital"

Courfeyrac was still texting as he said "Joly is taking Bossuet to the hospital, too. They think he broke his arm. Jehan and Feuilly are meeting us there, too. Feuilly hit his head, but they believe he's okay"

Knowing that Éponine was on her way to the hospital, Enjolras calmed down a bit. He still was extremely worried for her. The image of her being hit kept playing in his head, it made him feel something that he didn't understand, was it _guilt_? In a way, he couldn't shake the feeling that it all was his fault. But he decided to store those feelings in, he would deal with them later. Now, he needed to make sure that everything was under control. He forced himself to think properly and his face regained the calm he was known for, as he said "Okay, what about everyone else? The police probably took many innocents into custody, we need to help them. Also, we need to find those who started the chaos" Seeing that he was calm enough, Bahorel let him go.

Courfeyrac hadn't stopped texting, he briefly looked up at Enjolras and said "Already on it, chief" They knew a lot of people, and they had devised a planned to have at least one person in a ratio of 10 people, that person needed to be alert to every possible scenario. Courfeyrac was contacting all of those persons, who told him all they had seen and heard, including the people taken into custody, the people responsible for the violence, and the people that had to go to the hospital.

Bahorel grabbed his phone and started contacting people, too. Combeferre took a step closer to Enjolras and put his hand on his best friend's arm, before saying "Come on, let's go to the hospital"

Enjolras simply nodded and motioned for Courf and Bahorel to follow them. However, on the way to the hospital, he couldn't stop his mind from racing. What if Éponine wasn't okay? They would've called, right? Or maybe they were waiting for him to arrive. He reprimanded himself, he should've gone to her as soon as he saw her fall to the floor, what kind of person was he if he let others take care of her? But he still had to make sure that everyone else was safe, he needed to get the innocents out of jail, and put in there those who turned a peaceful protest into a boxing match. And Bahorel was right, he was a prime target, he needed to take care of himself, they couldn't risk losing their leader. Then, why did he feel so guilty? His anxiety grew the closer they got to the hospital, his heart started beating faster and faster and, once they reached the reception, and he saw Marius, Grantaire, Jehan and Joly, he sprinted to them and, out of breath, said "Where is she? How is she? What about Feuilly and Bossuet?"

Honestly, they had been trough this type of situation a lot of times before, and he had never looked so worried. Of course, every time something like this happened they worried sick. But Enjolras, somehow, always seemed to stay calm. He didn't let emotions cloud his judgment, except for today, that is. At that sight, Marius felt the need to put him out of his misery, he said "They just took Feuilly to get a CT because he hit his head, but he should be fine. Bossuet broke his arm and they're put it in a sling now. Éponine broke her nose and they took her to get a CT, too, but everything turned out fine. Still, they want her to stay the night for observation. We should be able to go see them all in a little while"

Enjolras visibly relaxed at those news. Only then did he notice the bruises and cuts that adorned his friends' faces. He asked them "Are you all okay?"

Grantaire smiled at that "We've been worse, Apollo"

Enjolras threw him a little sad smile in response.

A few minutes later, they were told that they could go and see their friends. Joly went to see Bossuet first, Musichetta was on her way to the hospital. Jehan and Bahorel went to Feuilly's room. Marius stayed at the reception waiting for Cosette to arrive, and Combeferre, Grantaire and Enjolras went to see Éponine. Once they entered the room, they saw her in bed, she was dressed in a hospital gown, her hair was up in a ponytail, and her arms had a few bruises and cuts. Yet, her face made Enjolras cringe, she had a bandage covering her nose, but there were still traces of blood on the sides of her face and her eye bags were purple. That's how he imagined her father left her after his beatings, all those years ago. And that's when it hit him. He was no better than her father, he swore to protect her and yet he let this happen to her. This happened to her because of him. He let 'Ferre and Grantaire go to her first.

Grantaire kissed Éponine's forehead tenderly, then he said "How are you, love?"

Éponine raised her eyebrow at him and said "It's just a broken nose, you know?"

Combeferre ran his hand through her arm as he said "It could be a broken nail, and we'd still be worried"

Éponine smiled as she put her hand over Ferre's and said "I know. How are the others?"

They gave her a brief summary of everything that had happened, and after a while of talking, Enjolras made his way over to them. Once she saw him she whispered "Hey" as she smiled through the pain. Relief written all over her face, she was extremely glad to see that he was okay. She had been so worried for him, she even tried to persuade G and Marius to let her go to him before going to the hospital, she swore to them that she was fine, despite the aching pain she felt all over her body.

Enjolras gently grabbed her face in his hands, careful not to cause her anymore pain. His thumbs caressed her cheeks, as his eyes welled up with anger at himself and he said "I did this to you"

As he was about to remove his hands from her face, Éponine put her hands over his, looked at him confused and said "What are you talking about?"

Enjolras angrily whispered "Ép, I'm no better than your father. I should've protected you. Instead, my revolution did this to you"

She removed her hands from over his, and her face hardened as she told him "No, you're not doing this. First of all, _you_ didn't do this to me, unlike my father. And second, I knew what I was getting myself into. This is not just your revolution" She knew him, she knew that under his cold and calm exterior, he struggled on the inside every time someone was in danger. He believed that, since he was the one to lead them, it was all his responsibility, she wanted him to understand that it was not like that. Still, Enjolras looked down and let go of her face, not entirely convinced of her words. She sighed and said "Come here" as she moved to the side of the bed and patted the other side, for him to lie down next to her. He did, he put his arm around her shoulder as she laid her head on his chest. Once they were settled, he kissed her forehead tenderly and they closed their eyes. Neither heard Combeferre and Grantaire leave.

* * *

 _The sixth time it happened, they were all hungover._

They had been celebrating Joly's birthday. Being who they were, they celebrated 'till 5 a.m. in the morning. By then, they decided that it was safer for all of them to stay at 'Ferre's apartment, which was where they went when the club closed at 3 a.m. Somehow, all of them ended up sleeping on the living room, even 'Ferre, who felt it was unfair for him to sleep in his bed while the others slept on the floor. Even drunk, Combeferre was the nicest of them all. Grantaire was much more selfish and crashed on the couch. Joly, Bossuet, and Musichetta cuddled each other in a corner. Courfeyrac and Jehan, who swore they weren't dating even though no one believed them, managed to fit in the armchair. Cosette and Marius slept on the rug in front of the T.V. Feuilly fell asleep on the kitchen floor as he was about to get some water. Bahorel crashed closest to the door " _In case burglars try to get in, you know?_ " While Éponine and Enjolras slept on the other corner of the room, closest to the bathroom. Even slightly drunk, Enjolras remembered that when Éponine was hungover, she threw up everything and anything.

Cosette was the first one to wake up. She was the one that drank less, so she started to make breakfast for everyone. Jehan and Feuilly followed suit a little while later and helped her. Joly, Bousset, and Musichetta woke up, but preferred to stay in each other's embrace, talking between them. About 30 minutes later 'Ferre woke up too and went to the store to get juice and milk with Bahorel. The only one's still sleeping were Marius, Grantaire, and Courfeyrac, when the rest heard Éponine throwing up. The door of the bathroom was open and they could see Enjolras kneeling next her, grabbing her hair. They could also hear Éponine whining "I'm never drinking again" and Enjolras, struggling not to laugh, answering her "You say that every time you drink, Ép" as he rubbed her back.

An hour or so later, all of them were awake and were sitting in the living room floor eating breakfast, as they shared stories of the previous night. Suddenly, Enjolras stood up and went to the kitchen. When he returned, he gave Éponine 2 pills for the headache, and a glass of water, he was waiting for her to eat something before she took some pills. As he sat dawn next to her again, she shot him a grateful smile. All he did was smile and wink in response.

All of the Amis acted as if nothing had happened. But later, Courfeyrac asked Jehan and Cosette "Did you see Ép and Enj during breakfast?" completely surprised.

Cosette smiled in amusement and said "You missed him holding her hair when she threw up earlier"

Courfeyrac swore not to fall asleep ever again, for fear of missing such moments.

* * *

 _The seventh time it happened, they met Montparnasse._

It was a Saturday night and they were all at their favorite bar. Courfeyrac and Éponine were getting everyone's drinks, when she, with a confused expression on her face, said "I know that cologne" She turned around just as a gorgeous man, with a smile that could charm the devil himself, appeared next to her. She shook her head and said "'Parnasse" a small smile playing on her lips.

Montparnasse looked the same as always. He was wearing a black leather jacket and black skinny jeans. His blue eyes glinted in mischief as he smirked in amusement and said "'Ponine. How's my favorite Thénardier?"

Éponine leaned on the bar and shrugged "I wouldn't know. Haven't talked to the boss in years" she struggled not to smile as she said that, she knew that 'Parnasse meant her, but she loved to play with him. There was a time when she thought that she could be happy with him, but their relationship was too fucked up for that. He worked for her father, but he still looked out for her whenever he could. However, his ability to be caring towards her didn't eliminate the fact that he was terrible with everyone else.

Montparnasse rolled his eyes and smiled "You know who I mean" Then, after a beat, he added "Your mom of course"

At that, Éponine laughed out loud, attracting the attention of the Amis. They were sitting in a table nearby and could see the way that man was looking at her. And the way she was looking at him, as if she already knew him. Besides, Éponine wasn't one to flirt, or even talk, to strangers, there must've been a good reason for her to act like that. Jehan made signs to Courfeyrac, asking him if he knew who the man was, but Courf only shrugged in response. What they all missed was the way Enjolras' face hardened the second Montparnasse put his hand on Éponine's arm. He didn't know why he felt such anger, he had never felt that way before. Somehow, he and Éponine had an unspoken agreement that they were it for each other, but seeing her with someone else, other than one of their friends, made him realize that she could be with anyone she wanted, with a man that could offer her his all, unlike him, who divided himself between the cause and her. But he couldn't lose her. He couldn't lose the one person that made it possible for him to love. He couldn't lose the person he loved more than anything in the world. Yet, he wasn't going to make a scene and stalk over to her, he was not an animal, he could control his jealousy. So he waited for her to make her way back to their table. Unfortunately for him, she invited that friend of hers to join them. Once they reached the table, and she and Courf handed everyone their drinks, she said "Hey guys, this is Montparnasse. A childhood friend of mine"

Montparnasse smirked, looked at the group of friends and said "And ex-boyfriend, too" Then, he turned to Éponine once again and added "I thought you were gonna introduce me as the best lay you've ever had" as he took a seat in the only chair left available.

Éponine laughed out loud once again and, as she sat in Enjolras' lap, since there were no more chairs, said "Actually, that's debatable" a few moments before, when she passed him his drink, Éponine could see the jealousy in Enjolras' face. She wasn't going to lie, it turned her on seeing him like that. A rush of energy flowed through her as he encircled her waist with his arms in a dominant manner as soon as she sat in his lap.

A look of understanding painted Montparnasse's face and he said "Ah, I see" as he put his hands up in surrender and lowered his head.

Éponine faintly heard 'Parnasse laughing about something with Grantaire and Bahorel, as the others resumed their conversations. But she was more focused on the fact that Enjolras' right hand was making his way down her tight. She almost couldn't contain her moan when he nibbled her ear, the weird sound made all of the Amis turn to them and she coughed in an attempt to disguise it. She breathed and tried to regain her composure, before standing up, grabbing Enj's hand, and telling everyone "I'm not feeling well, we're going home. See you guys tomorrow" as they left, they heard Bahorel yell "You're not fooling anyone!" Enjolras' could barely hide his smile.

* * *

 _The eight time it happened, they saw Enjolras as only Combeferre had seen him before._

It was a perfect spring evening. Most of the Amis were at the Café Musain, either working or talking amongst them, when Enjolras' barged in looking like he was about to die. His complexion was almost green, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was coughing up a storm in between sneezes. He plopped down on the sofa next to Éponine and laid his head on her chest.

Éponine turned to him and, with a worried expression on her face, gently asked "Hey. What are you doing here?" as she caressed his curls.

Enjolras' mumbled "I have work to do"

As he talked, Éponine kissed his forehead. But as soon as she felt how hot he was, she said "Enj, you're burning up. You can't work like this"

Enjolras sat up in an attempt to prove her that he could, in fact, work in the state he was in. But a coughing fit took over him and she ended up rubbing his back. When he was finished, he looked at her and she had a brow up in defiance. He simply put his head down and started to stand up. Éponine gathered her things and put her arm around him to help him walk. As they said goodbye to their friends, they heard a few "Take care, Enj", "Get well soon, chief!", "Fearless leader, don't you dare die on us", "Apollo, I know you'll come back from the ashes"

When they left, Joly said "Poor Enjolras, I have never seen him like that" Then, as an after thought, he said "You guys don't think that what he has is contagious, right?"

Everyone ignored Joly's question, they weren't going to play that game in which he obsessed over something and they reassured him that it was nothing, or that it wasn't contagious, or that " _Joly, you're not going to die_ " they learned long ago how to deal with his OCD. However, Jehan said "Yes, poor chief. He looked awful"

Combeferre was making his way over to them and overheard the last bits of their conversation, he said "Oh. Enjolras is sick?" when he saw the others nod, he said "Poor Ép, he's a pain in the ass when he's sick"

Cosette seemed to be wondering something before saying "Doesn't Ép has that thing at work tomorrow?"

Grantaire, of all people, knew what Cosette was talking about "Yes, you're right lark. What are we going to do?"

Cosette rolled her eyes at the nickname and said "Maybe we can divide into groups to take care of Enjolras while 'Ponine is busy" They all agreed with her and made up a schedule to take care of their leader. They texted Éponine to let her know, but of course, she told them that she could manage on her own. However, they had none of it, and the following morning Jehan and Courf were there to take the first shift. By the time nightfall came, each group, instead of leaving when another group arrived, stayed, because Enjolras was a fucking pain in the ass. And they needed all the help they could get. When Éponine arrived, Jehan practically threw himself at her and, dramatically, told her "'Ponine! How do you handle that man? He's been driving us crazy the whole day, only 'Ferre was able to get him to sleep for a while"

Éponine laughed out loud, she knew her Enjolras, and she knew that the Amis weren't going to be able to deal with him. It didn't surprise her a bit to see him sitting on the couch, a blanket over his shoulders and a stack of papers in front of him. She went over to him, grabbed the papers and threatened to throw them out the window as she told him "Go. Rest."

Enjolras threw her a hateful look. Nonetheless, his shoulders slumped in defeat, and he stood up and headed to the bedroom.

Éponine shook her head and yelled after him "You'll thank me later, and you know it"

The Amis only looked at her in shock. They had been trying to get him to rest the whole day, and all she had to do was threaten to throw his work out the window. That would've never worked if they did it, Enjolras wouldn't believe them. Feuilly asked "How… How did he fall for that?"

An evil smile graced Éponine's lips as she said "The first time he got sick I actually threw the papers out. He hasn't doubted me since"

* * *

 _The ninth time it happened, they were in jail._

This time Bahorel wasn't fast enough, he couldn't take the focus off of Enjolras, Courfeyrac and Combeferre in time, and the police took them into custody, under the charges of disturbing the order and inciting violence. To say that Enjolras was pissed off was an understatement. He hadn't stopped throwing hateful words at the policemen despite 'Ferre's attempts to calm him down. It was no secret to anyone that he had been a pain in the ass as of late. They had been working endlessly with Senator Lamarque on his campaign as the democratic nominee for president. And Enjolras, as the leader of the New York campaign, wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, he knew that they couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Not when they were so close to achieving their revolution. And yet, he knew that the police locked them up on purpose, for they didn't want Lamarque to win because they were as corrupt as the republican nominee.

Marius, Jehan, Feuilly, and Bossuet were also taken into custody. As soon as he found out, Joly called Éponine. She had been unable to go to that rally, she had been extremely busy, too. But she promised to meet him at the police station in a few minutes, she just had to take the money for the bail. However, it wasn't that simple, the officers were doing their best to keep them locked up for as long as they could. They ended up spending 34 hours in their cells. All that while, Éponine, Joly, Grantaire, and the girls had been busy contacting Lamarque's team. It was the evening of the second day, when the police had no other choice but to let them free, given that they were breaking the law by keeping them locked when they clearly could go if their bail was paid. As soon as they all left the station, Éponine turned to Enjolras and, worried, said "Hey, are you okay?" as she put her hand on his shoulder.

However, Enjolras brushed her off with a quick "Yes, I'm fine" and a stoic expression on his face. Then, he turned to the rest of the Amis, he found some of them sitting on the sidewalk while others leaned against the wall, and said "We need to meet to discuss our next course of action. This can't keep happening, not when we're so close to winning the election. They're trying to make us look like the bad guys. The last time it happened, when you guys ended up the hospital, we didn't have so many people looking at us. But now everyone associates us with Lamarque, we need to be very careful-"

Before he could keep going, Éponine interrupted him "-Enjolras! Are you blind? Jehan is shaking, most of them haven't eaten in 3 days, and the others can barely keep their eyes open. Everyone is hurt, everyone is tired, and all you can think about is the election?" she was clearly angry at him, her tone revealed her frustration. She couldn't keep dealing with that attitude of his. And if no one was going to stand up to him, she was.

Enjolras eyes' turned icy. He had many things to take care of, he didn't need Éponine all up on him. In a low, dangerous tone, he told her "Éponine, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell me how to do my job"

Éponine couldn't stop her mouth from opening in shock at his statement, her tone went up in volume as she said " _Your job?!_ These are your friends, Enjolras! You can't treat them like robots" Then, in a lower tone, she added in disdain "Not everyone is like you"

Enjolras snapped at her "What is that supposed to mean?"

Éponine scoffed "Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. Aren't you the marble man, after all?" The words left her mouth before she could think about what she was saying. She knew Enjolras hated the nickname. But she couldn't control herself, it was true. He had turned to stone those last few months. He barely slept, he barely talked. He was completely focused on the election. She didn't blame him for that, they all wanted Lamarque to win, and were doing their best to make it happen, but he was obsessed with it.

Enjolras did his best to control himself, he breathed in deeply before saying "Éponine" in a warning tone. But when he saw her brow up in defiance, he said, as cold as before "Look, everyone knew that this was going to be hard, and no one is here against their will"

Éponine shook her head and rolled her eyes before snapping at him "I'm not saying they are! But have you even asked them if they're fine? Do you have eyes for anything other than your revolution? These last few months have been tough on all of us, and you don't even seem to care! You've become the marble statue you were before…" She sighed and more calm than before, said "Before we started whatever this is we have going on"

Enjolras' expression was a mix of understanding and frustration, he sighed "Éponine, I warned you about this" In fact, after the first time they slept together, he told her that he was never going to be like all the other men out there. He couldn't. And he'd be dammed if his love for anyone stopped him from achieving his goals.

Fucking Enjolras, he wasn't getting her point, at all. She shook her head and looked down "You don't have to remind me, from the very beginning I knew that I would always be second to the cause" Enjolras' didn't buy what she was saying and it showed on his face, seeing that, she said "And I'm fine with that. But you can't turn into this shell of a person when you're under stress! Especially not at the expense of your friends" Actually, she understood when he told her that he couldn't give it his all to only her. How could she not? She loved him for who he was, for his passion towards his ideals, it would be such a hypocrite thing for her to want to change him.

However, Enjolras' problem with her sentence rested on the fact that she had referred herself as second in his list of priorities, and he realized that, these past moths, he had made her believe that. He had neglected her and made her believe that she didn't matter to him. And yet, she was fighting with him because she was worried about the way he was treating their friends, not because of the way he was treating her. His expression softened and he rubbed his face. Then, he looked at her, and with regret in his eyes said "Ép, you're not second to the cause" seeing that she was about to protest, probably about to tell him that she didn't care about that, he put his hand up to stop her from talking and continued "I know I have been distant these last few moths, but you're my Éponine and…" It had always been hard for him to admit to being wrong, but for her and for their friends, he swallowed his pride and said "And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you don't matter to me" Then, he turned to the Amis and told them "I'm sorry if I made any of you feel that way. It's just that, our dream is so close that I can't bear the thought of making a mistake that'll cost us the election" That was the thing about Éponine, she was the only person that could make him see his mistakes. She was the only one person who could make him human.

Despite how exhausted they were, the Amis understood where Enjolras was coming from, because they felt the same way. But they appreciated Éponine sticking up for them, someone had to make their leader understand and she was the only one capable of that. 'Ferre stood up from the floor and spoke for the rest of the group "We understand Enj. How about we head to my apartment, get something to eat, heal our wounds, and come up with a plan for the next rallies?"

Enjolras nodded gratefully and turned to Éponine, as the rest of the group started to stand up. He resembled a five year old when he asked her "Can I have a hug?"

Éponine smiled before burying her head in his chest as she encircled his hips with her arms, he held her close for a few moments, until she looked up at him and said "You know, it's impossible to live with you" Seeing Enjolras' outraged expression, she laughed and added "But I could never leave without you"

Enjolras visibly relaxed at her words and kissed her forehead.

Despite how exhausted they were, the Amis swooned at the sight. Chatter resumed amongst the group as they made their way to 'Ferre's apartment.

* * *

 _The tenth it happened, they had just witnessed Senator Lamarque win the presidential election._

It finally happened, Senator Lamarque won the presidency. Enjolras had helped him with his first speech, and they were all backstage watching their newly elected president deliver it. Since he was the Senator of New York, it was only fair to thank his people first. Finally, all their work had paid off, and yet, they knew that it was only starting. From now on they had a nation to build, and that was all they ever wanted, the opportunity to make a change. Emotions were running high and there wasn't a dry eye around, the happiness they all felt couldn't be compared to anything. As soon as the night ended they went to the Café Musain to celebrate with everyone else that had helped in the campaign. They were extremely tired, but they were so excited that they couldn't sleep. The Musain was packed with people, helpers and supporters alike, and everyone was singing, dancing, and having fun.

Éponine was sitting at a table talking with Courf, Feuilly, and Grantaire, when her eyes landed on Enjolras', who was speaking with the Washington leader of the campaign. A smile took over her features as soon as she saw him. She had been in love with him for a while, she knew it, _and he knew it_. Then, why did she feel like her heart was about to burst with love for him? Could she possibly love him more than she thought? She was so lost in her thoughts, that she realized that she was walking over to Enjolras when she was already next to him. Seeing how he and the guy from Washington were looking at her, she turned to the latter and said "Can I steal him from you for a minute?"

Jonathan, that was the name of the guy, smiled at her and said "He's all yours" before turning around and leaving to talk to someone else.

Enjolras turned to her with a worried expression on his face, he couldn't help but notice that Éponine had a funny look on hers. So, he asked her "Everything okay?"

Éponine took a deep breath, and before she knew it, she wasn't filtering what she said. Her tone held a mix of confusion and excitement as she said "I… I love you. More than I've ever loved anyone. I don't want to sound like a fucking cliché, but, I think you're the love of my life. I certainly don't want to fall in love with anyone but you. What we have is more profound than what many people get, and it's ours. So, only for us, I'm asking you, will you go with me to City Hall tomorrow and marry me?"

Enjolras smiled widely at her, grabbed her face with his hands and kissed her passionately. Not caring who was around them. He faintly heard the Amis catcalling and whistling, but he didn't care, because there was no one he'd rather spend the rest of his life with than with his Éponine. Who would've thought that he, the marble man, was going to end up marrying someone? The thing was that, it was not just someone, it was Éponine. His Éponine.

The Amis didn't find out that they were married until after a year, when Bousset knocked over some stuff at their apartment and Jehan squealed as he read over the marriage certificate.

Everyone congratulated them, but Courfeyrac rolled his eyes and whined "You guys couldn't even throw a party for us? You knew how much I wanted to go to a wedding"

Enjolras tried his best to keep himself from smiling as he said "You'll get over it. Now, we need to talk about how much success we've had this first year of Lamarque's presidency. Remember he wants us to preside over the Inequality of Income and Opportunities Committee…" he kept talking, making plans for the future of a nation that seemed to get brighter with everyday that went by.

"...for hope is always born at the same time as love..." Miguel de Servantes Saavedra.


End file.
